Bidspirit auction | Large African Chokwe Chief Figure

Large African Chokwe Chief Figure (Mwanangana), 3 Feet - Large African Museum Quality Chokwe Chief Figure (Mwanangana) | This figure depicts a Chokwe chief, or mwanangana, and epitomizes the balance of power and refinement characteristic of Chokwe court art. The hand-carved wood sculpture is smooth, reddish-brown in color, and has a shiny patina that resulted from the repeated application of oil and dyes during ceremonies. The statue has the customary oversized hands and feet and a large Chipanya mutwe, a tri-lobed, upturned and flaring headdress, with two lateral wings. The chief holds what appears to be a flintlock long gun, symbolizing the chief's aggressive traits and hunting prowess. The chief has scarification marks on the face and forehead and a beard of what appears to be horsehair. The figure is adorned with a leather belt and loincloth, a shouldered bag, and upper arm bracelets.LiteratureBastin, Marie-Louise. La Sculpture Tshokwe. Meudon, France: Alain Chaffin, 1982, p. 136.The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art Recent Acquisitions: A Selection 1988–1989 (1989).Hôtel Drouot. Arts Primitifs. Paris, June 25-26, 1992, fig. VI.Jordán, Manuel, ed. Chokwe! Art and Initiation among Chokwe and Related Peoples. Munich: Prestel-Verlag, 1998, pl. 6.